Interview: Paul David Stanko

Congrats on your recent music release!

Thank you very much! I love writing and releasing new music. The creative process is just part of my DNA, I think.

How did your musical journey begin? What initially sparked your interest in music?

Well, I grew up in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota where the Mall of America resides. My Dad was a draftsman and mom mother worked for the high school my sister and I attended. My Dad instilled us with a strong work ethic and a drive for perfection, while my mom balanced that with an understanding that it is OK to sit back, relax and read a book. I thank her for my appetite to read.

We were a happy family who got along with each other. Our cousin’s lived on a 50-acre horse ranch in Stillwater, Minnesota, and weekends and summers were spent playing with our cousins—riding horses, running through the forest playing our made-up game of “Logan’s Run” (based upon the ‘70’s movie and TV series) or using $1000 of my uncle’s precious lumber to build forts in the forest.

My sister, my cousins and I would spend time inside writing books and were self-published well before that was a thing: “publishing” them by gluing the typed pages into a piece of folded cardboard covered in old wallpaper. My cousin, Anna, and I were close in age, and we have a cooking show and would combine things we found in the kitchen and make our younger sisters try our creations then clean up our mess.

I started piano lessons in elementary school and drums in the 6th grade. I sang in our church choir and in the high school swing choir…. I was drum major for the marching band when not playing snare drum. I did all the school plays and competed on the speech team. All those experiences have informed who I am and how I do what I do in this life.

Music has always been a part of my life. From my dad listening to the radio in his shop to dancing around the living room as a kid lip-synching to records. When it came to college, the only thing I could think to go into was music. I set out to get a teaching degree, until I realized, I don’t like kids much. I switched to performance and set out to be a classical marimba player.

Post college, I realized that market was not as much in demand as I thought. I got a “day job” and kept doing music on the side.

Most of my musical work has been in the church and in musical theater pit orchestras. I have worked for churches for over 35 years and played over 100 shows.
A lot of my music is reminiscent of the styles I grew up listening to. My dad was really into 1940’s swing—Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman—so I have a strong influence of that swing band horn sound. My mom was really into The Carpenter’s and the “Easy Listening” sounds of the 1970’s, so that finds its way in. I RARELY heard what we call “classic rock” when I was growing up—that didn’t happen until later, but you’ll find a heavy influence of that rock guitar in what I do. I DID get into STYX and QUEEN in high school, so you hear that influence for sure.
Also while in high school I spent a lot of time with musicals. I, as a general rule, am not a HUGE fan of musical theater so to speak (so the irony that I play in a LOT of pit bands is not lost on me), but it definitely influenced me more than I might care to admit. I like the story in the song… so almost all my music takes you on a lyrical journey.

While attending Coe college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I got to work with Dr. Paul Smoker. He was an Avant-Garde jazz trumpet player who was also the director of our jazz band. He taught me the importance of knowing the rules before you break them… but by GOD, break them! I learned the importance of improvisation… the freedom in form. The beauty found in chaos.

Being from Minneapolis, Prince played an ENORMOUS roll in influencing me as a writer, arranger, producer, etc. That Minneapolis Sound is not always top of mind when I write, but the work ethic and desire to experiment with sound and ideas is there.
But I do get influenced by what I hear today—Robyn, The Teddybears, Walk the Moon, Lizzo—all find their way into what I am writing.

Can you describe some of the pivotal moments or turning points in your artistic development?

College, for sure. It was sort of like that movie “Whiplash”. I had very little drumming skills walking in the door, but thought I knew a lot. I had a professor just push and push me, which I am so appreciative of…he REALLY taught me a lot… and it wasn’t in a sugar-coated way either. I think that was the first huge point in my development.

Around that time, I also discovered the marimba, which combined the skills I learned taking piano lessons with the rhythm of percussion I was so drawn to. I was convinced I was going to be the next classical marimbaist. But post college the bills needed to be paid, and then, well, I wasn’t focused on becoming a classical marimbaist any longer… but those skills I developed learning the marimba would serve me well later in my career.

Then was working for a church in the 1990’s… I needed to arrange music for the small orchestra and band we had. That really polished my skills as an arranger… figuring out what I heard in my head and how I could get that (or close to that) out of a group of volunteers was a learning experience for me.

My first CD, Evolutions, was a huge for me. To see music you created turned into a recording was amazing. I had zero knowledge of how studios worked and am super thankful for John Heinen and Johnny Hanson for being so accommodating and patient as I worked with my friends to create music. It set the bug to write and create and release music which would eventually lead me to doing the same at my Forgiveness Unity studio in Plymouth, Minnesota USA.

I think the last real pivotal moment to date is discovering the handpan. This creation led me to the RAV Vast, which I have written several pieces for, including my single, “Perpetual Motion of Water”. This instrument allowed me to combine the knowledge I learned from piano, marimba and choral music with a new sound. “Stardust Once Again” was the first piece in the history of this planet to be written for RAV Vast and choir! I am very proud of that piece.

How have your musical tastes and influences evolved over time?

Oh, for SURE my tastes have evolved. As I grew as a musician, I could hear different things in music, which pushed me to bring different things out in myself. I have gotten better at arranging and singing. Better at letting my style speak for itself instead of letting others dictate what my sound should be—either through my being too fearful of hurting other people’s feelings when it isn’t exactly what I want or not having a clear vision of what I am doing in the first place.

My first CD sounded like something from the 1970’s, not because that is what I wanted exactly, but because I wasn’t a strong enough band leader to take the instruments I was using (other musicians and what they brought) and didn’t really have a clear understanding of what “my sound” was. That is different now. I know what I want and how I can bring it to life.

When I started out, I wanted to be a rock star. It wasn’t so much about the message, but the idea of what I should be writing about. Now, I understand that in my 50’s I won’t be Ariana Grande or Harry Styles, and I am OK with that. I would rather write music that tells my story from my perspective. And big part of who I am is trying to help people become more than they are today. My hope is to inspire people to find the strength inside and be who they are boldly, without apology and to honor everyone else’s version of who THEY are without feeling that who they are diminishes who YOU are.

As for my influences, I am always open to new sounds and feels. I hear a new song from an artist and I may learn it by sitting at the piano and figuring it out, but then I move off of the original feel or sound and put a “Paul David” spin on it and see where it takes me. In that way, I am influenced by all the new things. And I think being influenced by a multitude of inputs is very important… that variety is very important.

Are there any specific experiences or challenges that have shaped your artistic identity?
Probably stuggling with overcoming distractions. There are so many amazing experiences to be had here on earth, and a lot of them are really fun! I allowed myself to be distracted away from my craft by life—which I do not regret—but it set me behind on my artist’s journey. Then there is the distraction of “I’m not good enough” which needs to be overcome. Then there is the distraction of paying the bills and eating—enter the day job.
Let me be clear: there is nothing WRONG with distractions. They just take you on a different path for a while. It’s when they take over you have an issue. Sex, drugs, gambling, binging Netflix…all are distractions. None of them are inherently bad in moderation. But just remaining aware of them is important.
The hardest distraction is probably the “I’m not good enough” one. It’s so easy to compare ourselves to other people or other artists. The self-talk of “I’ll never be as famous as (fill in the blank)” or “I am not as handsome/pretty as (fill in the blank)” are hard things to overcome, especially when it’s not popping for you.
Always remember, you are YOU. You have your OWN unique voice—a voice no other artist has. You do you, boo. Don’t worry about anyone else. Be who you are boldly and create what YOU hear. Your voice is important in the world and your art needs to be shared.
The distractions will always be there. Learning to manage them and live with them can be your biggest challenge. It was for me (and continues to be).
What role does experimentation play in your creative process?

I am ALL about experimentation! I love happy accidents. In my song, “We Can B Free,” while I was recording, my dog, London, wanted to go outside and chase rabbits. In the middle of recording vocals she was barking her fool head off to go out. It got on the recording. I saved it and used it to accent a clap sound in verse three. I love that.

In my song, “Karen Wants a Reservation”, I pushed myself to work with stems and loops as part of a composition contest. I had some found audio I recorded from an angry customer’s voicemail and I manipulated that along with the stems to create a song. …that probably requires a little more unpacking.

In my day-job world, I work in food service. I was working for a major department store that had food service in its stores. Our main one in downtown Minneapolis had been down trending pre-pandemic and was slated to close. It was an iconic fixture of the Minneapolis area, and everyone who had ever eaten there wanted to come have one last hurrah at the Oak Grille.

This was right around the holidays in 2016 when they announced the closing, and we couldn’t keep up with the reservations. So we instilled a policy where you could only make reservations at restaurant.com. It was the only way we could possibly keep up. From open to close the restaurant was packed.

Well, one older customer didn’t like that policy and left what she probably deemed a scathing voicemail, but in typical Minnesota Nice fashion, ends it with “Take care”. When I heard that voicemail, I recorded it because I knew it was gold. I mean, her cussing amounted to “raising heck” and “God bless America”. You can find that on all streaming services and on my webpage if you want to listen.

Can you share a particularly meaningful or memorable performance or recording session from your journey?

Working with Matt Fink (Dr. Fink of Prince and the Revolution) was epic for me. Not sure if it was a pivotal “change” point for me, but it certainly was a milestone moment. I was in high school when I discovered Prince. Then through his Purple Rain era up to Lovesexy, he was the soundtrack to my coming-of-age and coming out story. So to meet someone who was there the whole time was amazing. And Matt is a wonderful musician and kind person. Birthing “Superhuman” with him was truly a wonderful time.

Are there any recurring themes or concepts that you find yourself exploring in your music?

Growth. Personal, spiritual, it doesn’t matter. Personal empowerment. I like to write about things that inspire people to become more than they were when they started out this grand adventure or to see things from another point of view. I do love hiding “meaning” in my work… for example, Forgiveness Unity Courage Kindness has a hidden meaning. The main theme for my tone poem is Bb, Ab, F, Ab, Gb, C… “be a fag, see?” I love layers of meaning.

How do you stay inspired and motivated to create new music?

Great questions. I guess I just am driven to express and music is my tool. I love creating things and I truly enjoy the process of birthing new music. It’s in my DNA, I guess… I tried not doing music once, and I was miserable. So I guess I don’t so much stay motivated as it isn’t possible for me to NOT be motivated to create.

Now inspiration, different story. There are times I have nothing… and I have learned to walk away at those times for another day. Or there are times when I have an idea, but it isn’t a brilliant idea…and I write those lyrics down for a later date or I record the groove in my Digital Audio Workstation and revisit it another day. You can’t force inspiration.

But that does pay off. My song, “Artist’s Prayer” was just such a “leave it until later” thing. I wrote those lyrics in 1993 and put them in my little black binder of ideas. Around 2020, I stumbled across them and thought they would make a beautiful song. The music wasn’t in me in 1993, but it certainly was when I rediscovered them. Listen for yourself and be the judge: Was the wait worth it?

One of my new songs I am working on is called 6 cups. It is also from a fragment of lyrics I found in that same book. Where “Artist’s Prayer” as fully formed, this was only a part, but some good deep writing and imagery in it. “Memories pluck at my heartstrings playing a song I’d forgotten I’d known. When old friends come with, “Hey, how are you?” Reminds me just how much I have grown.” Really fun lyrics. …but no chorus.

So in my “other” other life, I am a tarot card reader and the 6 of Cups is about remembering how things were when you were younger… so I took that idea and made it about gathering with old friends after many years in a bar (or coffee house) and the 6 cups represent the 6 friends you haven’t seen in quite a while sharing tales of the paths you all walked.

I had recently heard a song, “More Alive Than Dead” by Joseph and I loved the simple three-part harmony. So I am working with a simple piano line, bass drum and finger snap and three-part harmony throughout.

So an old idea, saved, mixed with a new skill can keep you inspired and creating. You never know what you can use or how it will move you.

Looking back on your journey so far, what are some lessons or insights you’ve gained about yourself as an artist?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a rock star. Now, I just want to reach people with my music and my message.

I am going to keep writing and releasing music, but I am not writing it to be “famous”…I am writing it for me. My real goal is, and always has been, to touch as many people as possible with my art. I plan to continue to do that.
Where can the fans connect with your music?
I am on all social media and streaming platforms, but the best way to stay abreast of the new music coming out …or book and online tarot card reading…is by visiting my website, https://PaulDavidMusic.net